Xel-Ha

We woke up and finished packing to leave for Xel-Ha and Tulum. 

We have gone pretty hard, and the boys are tired. So are we.

They got up with some coaxing, and we were off. 

Hurricane likes to push limits and needs to know why. 

He would try to do the opposite of everything we asked. 

We arrived at Xel-Ha to play all day.

Sweetheart writing:

We started with breakfast. 

All food and drinks were included in the admission price.

We started with snorkeling 

so Hurricane and Underfoot could learn 

how to breath with a snorkel and not blow out their nose. 

Underfoot took to it very quickly. 

Hurricane struggled a bit.

At Xel-Ha and Xcaret, the park has cameras set up to take your picture. 

You scan your wristband and have your picture taken. 

The boys loved to stop and get their picture taken multiple times at each stop.

After snorkeling, we went to a zip line. 

Hurricane was afraid of the zip line. 

I had to coax him to try it for about 30 minutes. 

After the first time down that is all he wanted to do.

Mama and Underfoot went repeatedly while I tried to convince Hurricane. 

At one point Underfoot lost his flipper as did I when coming off the swing. 

Mama dove down to the bottom to get the flipper. 

She tried to do it with her life jacket and got within inches of the flipper 

until the jacket forced her up. 

We ate three times. I stuffed myself. 

At the end of the day we did snuba. 

It is snorkeling with a hose. I really liked it. 

Hurricane tried really hard but was cold. 

The water at the bottom of the inlet was much warmer than at the top. 

I touched the fish. 

The underwater photographer took a bunch of pictures.

We paid $79 to get 140 digital images on a thumb drive. 

We would not have bought the pictures if we had not done the snuba.

At the end of the day we wished we had taken more pictures. 

We did not buy the pictures at Xcaret.

After we left Xel-Ha, we went to our hotel, El Paraiso. We found it at dusk. The hotel runs on a generator since it is the Tulum National Park. It is right on the beach and 500 meters from the Tulum ruins. Mama's dad recommended it. I am glad we found before dark. When we checked in, the mosquitoes came out to greet us and bit us numerous times. Then we dropped off our stuff and got fuel (the card worked this time) and hit up the grocery store for a few odds and ends. We got baby bug juice because that was all they had. We all got sunburned so we put on aloe. Hopefully tomorrow we won't get so burned.

Leona Vacario Branch

We went to church services at the Leona Vicario branch in Leona Vicario, Quintana Roo. This is a small congregation of the LDS church, and they have about 30 members. They meet in a home with a large front room, 2 bedrooms, and a large kitchen. Someone forgot to pay the electric bill so there was no electricity. It was terribly hot. The flies were buzzing in the large room used as a chapel. flies. All were hot and humid.

We found we have lots of reasons to be grateful. We are grateful for A/C and pest control. We are thankful for the opportunity to meet with other Christians and to learn about Jesus Christ and how to be better people.

Underfoot and Hurricane attended Primary with the other children in 1 of the bedrooms of the home. The nursery and older children met together. We learned about Radshack, Meshach, and Abednego. We laughed at the irony of it being a hot day like the fiery furnance. I went with the boys to translate. They participated in Primary and sang the songs in English when the Mexican children sang in Spanish.

After church, we came back to the mission home and planned the next three days. We will go to Xel-Ha tomorrow, sleep the night at a hotel on the beach on Monday night 500 m from Tulum, and Tuesday morning we will see Tulum and Coba. Wednesday we will be back at the mission home. Sweetheart hopes to go to the glass bottomed boat with my parents and maybe to the Mayan museum. 

Sweetheart and I had a good talk with Underfoot and Hurricane about making choices before being presented with challenging situations like being offered drugs or alcohol. My Dad called different missionary's parents to tell them how good their children are. It was interesting to overhear the conversation. 

We wrote post cards. The boys helped Sweetheart make orange juice. We had leftovers for dinner.

Chichen Itza

We got up really early like 6:30 am, got ready, and left for Chichen Itza. 

The doors opened at 8 am. 

We arrived at 8:30 am and took the free road instead of the toll road. 

Kukulcan (Mayan) or El Castillo (Spaniards)

The boys have talked about going to Chitzen Itza

since they found out we were going to Mexico. 

We saw all of it. 

The Ball Court

Hurricane had an almost accident in his pants, 

but pooped in the jungle with Sweetheart's assistance. 

We walked to all parts. 

A posed picture

The boys saw an iguana that we named Dinner and took many pictures of it. 

The public baths didn't have toilet paper so glad I brought wipes. 

The Observatory

We got 2 great pictures taken in front of the Observatory and El Castillo (top picture.) 

The boys wanted a chess set and jaguar whistle. 

Sweetheart negotiated for them and was happy about the price.

Next to the Sacred Cenote

We were leaving when most of the crowds started to arrive at 12:30 pm. 

We drove back to Valladolid. 

We hung out at the chapel for 2+ hours 

while missionaries talked with President Kirkham. 

Dinner is sitting on the snake's head.

We returned to shop at the plaza where 

my Mom bought me a fabulous shirt of sunflowers.

She bought hand stitched handkerchiefs from Antonia.

When I was about 10 or so, our family visited. I stood on the edge of the rim of the cenote. It is now fenced off.

We ate at a buffet and returned to Cancun. 

On the way we talked about branding our family 

and decided in part on a poem from Great-Grandpa Kirkham. 

They fell asleep from Valladolid to Cancun.

We had trouble getting 

through the gate at the community where my parents live. 

Sweetheart and my Dad resolved it.

After arriving, Hurricane swam and Underfoot played chess. 

I got laundry done and watched the LDS Women's Meeting with my mom. 

I liked Neill F. Marriott's talk and Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk.

Ek-Balam and Valladolid

Hurricane came crawled bed with us after the sun came up, and we slept in until 9:00 am. The boys swam in pool. When they came in the house, they slipped and fell, and Hermama Nora, the mission home house keeper, brought them to our bedroom.

We packed to go to Valladolid. My parents had a companionship phone because they are down on how many missionary companionships they have right now.They let us use the phone for our visit. While we were packing, the phone was missing. Mama had a meltdown because she wanted to be responsible and felt awful that it was missing. Jilli had gathered the phone the day before when boys pulled it out at Xcaret to play games on it. There were no games on the phone. Jilli never told us and neither did Underfoot. The whole issue got resolved when Underfoot told us the next day.

We left a little before noon traveled to Ek Balam,

and the boys rode with Kirky and Jilli for the day.

 

 Ek Balam is a recent uncovered site (15 yrs approx.). 

Tourists may still climb the pyramid. The pyramid is very steep. 

The whole family climbed to the top.

 Boys got nervous climbing pyramid. 

Kirky and Jilli shared insights about the site structure and significance.

 Ek Balam has 3 fences around to enter the center of the city.

To climb up this structure, you need to lean forward onto your knees.

The houses around the main pyramid are a good size.

When we left Ek Balam, the boys were hungry.

We went to get cold coconuts,

but the vender was missing in action.

We traveled to Vallodolid to the cenote. 

The boys swam in the cenote, 

Sweetheart and I didn't want to because of fish and slime. 

 We probably missed out. 

We ate supper family style at a restaurant over looking the cenote.

We went to fill the car up with gas.

The debit card didn't work.

At the gas stations, 

the cards work only about 1/2 the time we learned later.

After checking into the hotel, we had problem getting out cash from 2 ATMs. Sweetheart put the wrong pin in and flagged the account to close it. We called the international number to resolve the issue and got cash.  We walked around the plaza and bought ice cream and a book. To wind down, we watched comedy sketches of  Tim Conway and Carol Burnett - No Frills Airlines and The Dentist. The boys laughed.

Xcaret

We went to Xcaret.

Xcaret is a ruin that has been turned into 

an amusement and educational park 

to have fun and teach about the Mayan and Mexican cultures.

A rain storm greeted us, 

and we got soaked even before going into the underground river. 

The water was cold. 

I think the boys really liked the underground river.

 

Jilli taught the boys about Mayan every day life.

 The boys got out of the water cold, 

and we walked around to help them warm up.

 

Lunch was included in our entry fee.

We ate a lot and with full bellies boys went to sleep.

The buffet was good. We all ate a lot.

 We woke up boys and went to see huge turtles, dolphins, sharks, and lots of fish.

These turtles were only 20 years old.

 They do a Mayan presentation with dancing.

The dancers have body paint of different animals.

In the middle of the fire circle is a man under the turtle's shell.

Hurricane stayed with us.

Hurricane made everyone nervous watching the Mayan dancing on the edge of the ledge.

Because of the rain, I got a blister on my foot. 

Underfoot got a blister on the edge of his heel.

Mama shared crackers with a lady whose baby was crying. 

 In the evening is a presentation of the ball game, fire hockey, 

the Spaniards' invasion, and cultural dances from the different states in Mexico.

 There were lots of music and the long day ended after the spectacular.

The boys loved scanning their wrists to take photos. 

By the end of the day we both wanted to be dry.

Today we gained an appreciation for the stresses of the mission president. 

He was on the phone all day dealing with many issues.

Driving Around

Leaving on our trip early Tuesday morning. 

We arrived late Tuesday afternoon.

My parents took us on a tour of Cancun. 

The first stop was the Mission Office. 

Hurricane wanted to run every where. 

 

Cancun has been in a drought. 

We arrived, and they had rain and the coolest day since my parents arrived. 

 

After finishing at the office, we bought Mega bars (ice cream) at a convenience store. 

When we arrived, Hurricane had been asking to buy something. 

At the convenience store, Hurricane bought a plastic toy. 

He put the $10 pesos he had on the counter. 

Grandpa Kirky bought the ice cream and was to be given change. 

Hurricane put his hand out to get all the change. 

The clerk thought it was super funny to watch Hurricane try to get the change. 

 

Boys liked the panaderia in the grocery store. 

They touched everything. 

The limes were Sweetheart's favorite thing at the grocery store.

We drove around a lot in the mission van and heard many stories of missionaries cultural shock. 

In one area, we saw a pig in a tricycle taxi bike. 

The area was one of  the very poor areas of Cancun. 

The electrical lines were a mess.

We stopped at the end of the drive and played on the beach. 

We decided to not go to an all-inclusive resort for 2 days during our trip.

Hurricane ran off at the beach, and Grandpa Kirky caught up with him. 

Sweetheart and Grandpa Kirky talked sternly with Hurricane. 

Hurricane does not understand how Mexico is different than the United States, 

and Hurricane needed to stay close to a parent or grandparent.

Supper was at a buffet. 

Sweetheart told Grandpa Kirky about Hurricane.

Hurricane takes a lot of time in the bathroom.

Grandpa Kirky laughed hard about the story.

September 22 - Last Minute Details

Here is our journal update for 3 weeks ago. We decided to go to Cancun, Mexico for fall break. Here are the few things we did before we left.

- Sweetheart and I got tetanus shots. Sweetheart also started a series of shots for vaccinations. He will finish those up in March.

- I started to coach Hurricane's soccer team. It is quite humorous. I know nothing. On Saturday, a clinic was held to teach coaches how to be better and gave quite a few ideas. I hope to be an okay coach.

- Hurricane Odile was to bring huge rain. The schools closed after school activities. Sweetheart's work even sent their non-essential employees home early from work. We received absolutely no rain. We had a lot of fun with Sweetheart home. The humidity was more than normal.

- I decided to make a present for my parents for Christmas. We have done the Jesse Tree advent for the past few years. The ornaments took a lot of time but turned out very cute. Other people made ornaments as well. We did an exchange on Thursday night.

- The boys packed.

- We emptied out all the rooms with carpet so the carpet could be cleaned. All the furniture went into the kitchen and our bedroom. We left the house very clean for our trip.

Be Well.